Huelskamp: Cantor’s Defeat Weakens Boehner

As conservatives begin to wrap their heads around the shocking primary defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, at least one member of the coup to unseat Speaker John A. Boehner doesn’t think an open spot in leadership will strengthen Boehner’s hand come the 114th Congress.

Just minutes after Cantor’s defeat was official on Tuesday night, Rep. Tim Huelskamp told CQ Roll Call that Cantor’s ouster “bodes well for an entire new leadership team.”

The Kansas Republican, who hasn’t been quiet about his qualms with leadership, said it’s “too early to tell” exactly how this affects leadership races, “but, again, I think it’s a team approach, and this reflects on John Boehner, this reflects on [Majority Whip] Kevin McCarthy.”

McCarthy is next in succession for the majority leader spot, but many in the Capitol see his power largely tied to Cantor’s.

“By tomorrow, it’ll be McCarthy running for majority leader,” Huelskamp said. “He’s Mr. Ambition. But at the end of the day, I don’t think he gets to be majority leader by Eric Cantor getting beat.”

But if McCarthy doesn’t get the title, that spot would be open for another member, perhaps a more conservative lawmaker who could align himself or herself with Boehner but still satiate the right-wing thirst for more conservative leadership.

Asked if he thought conservatives would be placated by a scenario like that, Huelskamp was unequivocal.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I think most members of the House know the final power rests in the speaker’s office.”

“I think it weakens the speaker; it doesn’t help him,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Huelskamp had predicted that Boehner wouldn’t run to be speaker in the 114th Congress, along with Reps. Raúl R. Labrador, R-Idaho, and Matt Salmon, R-Ariz.

How this affects their predictions in unclear. But for Huelskamp, he think it strengthens the chances of Boehner retiring.

The Congressman who urged Supreme Court Justice John Roberts to decide the Hobby Lobby case based on his Catholic beliefs, now applauds the defeat of Eric Cantor. Eric Cantor who is Jewish was the only Non-Christian Republican member of Congress. The small tent crowd seems to have prevailed in this one Virginia GOP primary contest. I disagree with the Congressman, as a big tent Republican Party with the continued leadership of Speaker John Boehner in the US House of Representatives would be in the best interests of the Nation and Lincoln’s Party.

So why not Representative Huelskamp as a conservative alternative to Representative McCarthy? He certainly has shown the backbone to stand up to leadership even when it was unpopular. I myself am a Democrat, but respect him a great deal for holding to his convictions. He is just what the doctor ordered at this time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWMJoV0ozIM Mitt Romney Guy

True. But now is not the time for another Reagan. We need a moderate like Christie or Romney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0kbHaulvRg Lieutenant Dan

Isn’t it guys like that who got us in this mess in the first place?

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